SCIENTISTS have discovered how to "switch off" autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes in a breakthrough which could improve the lives of millions of people.

Around 400,000 people living in the UK suffer from Type 1 diabetes [GETTY - Picture Posed By Model]

British researchers have revealed how to stop cells from attacking healthy body tissue.

A team at the University of Bristol have discovered how cells convert from being aggressive, allowing the body's immune system to destroy its own tissue by mistake, to actually protecting against disease.

It is hoped the discovery will lead to the widespread use of a very targeted immunotherapy treatment for many autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes, Graves' disease and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

MS alone affects around 100,000 people in the UK and around 400,000 have Type 1 diabetes.

These findings have important implications for the many patients suffering from autoimmune conditions that are currently difficult to treat

Professor David Wraith

Professor David Wraith, of the university's School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, led the "exciting" research - which was funded by the Wellcome Trust.

He said: "Insight into the molecular basis of antigen-specific immunotherapy opens up exciting new opportunities to enhance the selectivity of the approach while providing valuable markers with which to measure effective treatment,.

"These findings have important implications for the many patients suffering from autoimmune conditions that are currently difficult to treat."

In the study, published in the journal Nature Communications, scientists were able to selectively target the cells that cause autoimmune disease by dampening down their aggression against the body's own tissue, while converting them into cells capable of protecting against disease.